Fountain toothbrush



March 20, 1945.

LE ROY E. WALKER FOUNTAIN T'ooTHBRUsH Filed Sept. 10, 1942 Paten-ted Mar. 20, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relatos io the application of liquid dentifrice, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved fountain brush.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of the brush, a portion of the handle being shown in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional` view of the head part;

Figure 3 is a face view of the bristle sideof the head; and

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the head. In the embodiment selected for illustration,

-I make use of a hollow handle I for containing a liquid dentifrice. One end of the handle is open to provide an inlet for the dentifrice, the opening being closed by a screw plug I2. A flattened and hollow head I 4 is formed at the opposite end of the handle, the hollow in the head being in continuation of the hollow in the handle. Two rows IB of bristles are arranged longitudinally of the head, these rows being spaced to accommodate a slide I8 controlling the flow of dentifrice from the head I4.

A plurality of openings 20 is provided in the head for the exit of the dentifrice. These openings are normally closed by the slide I8. Openings 22 are also provided in the slide, these openings being equal in number to and of the same spacing as the openings 20, sothat the two sets of openings may be brought into registration by moving the slide in one direction.

The slideV I8 is in the nature of a dovetail in cross section and is slidably guided in a dovetail groove 24 in the head I4. A stop 26 is formed on the handle in the path of the slide to prevent further movement of the ,slide when the openings 20 are fully uncovered. The groove 24 terminates in a stop 28 against which the slide en-r gages when the openings 20 are fully covered. While the stop 26 lies in the path of the slide I8, the slide is made of suiciently lflexible material to bend as it is placed in the groove. A button 30 is attached to the slide to facilitate adjustment thereof.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention, that others may,

by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditionsof service.

I claim:

In a fountain toothbrush, a tubular body liaving aligned elongated handle and flattened head portions, bristles attached 'to the underside of the head in transversely spaced longitudinally extending rows one located adjacent each of the side edges of the head, the underside of said head portion having a dovetail groove extending lon-vr gitudinally thereof between the rows of bristles,

saidV groove being formed so as to provide an abutment short of -the outer end of the head and an inner abutment at the inner end of the head,

said -head having a plurality of dentifrice disopenings in the head in one position and to closev said discharge openings in its reverse position, and a button depending from the inner end of the closure member for actuating the same.

LE ROY EARL WALKER.k 

